Back into the aquarium hobby after a 5year break. A young family has kept me fully occupied for the past few years, but for birthday and father's day this year I was surprised with a gift from the fam - a gift certificate to the fish gallery here in Houston.

The tank is about 10 weeks up and running at this point.

The layout is built around a pair of juvenile musk turtles, which is why the setup is a hybrid and not a true riparium. In the center of the display, driftwood and rocks have been arranged to allow for the turtles to come out of the water if need be. This creates a great focal point as the appearance is that of a submerged tree. The perimeter of the tank has planters and floating trellis which host a variety of plants. This setup has allowed me to not only include bog plants, but terrestrial plants as well. the air plant, for example, would not be possible in a traditional riparium setup.

The tank sits in a shelf system that divides the dining room from the kitchen. In order to maintain a nice aesthetic in both room, I had to be be very particular in creating scene with minimal hardware visible. This not only keeps the focus on the inhabitants exclusively, but also keeps the house looking nice - as nice as it can be with a 5year old and a 22 month old running around.

I selected a rimless and seamless-front tank, it happened to fit perfectly in the open space between both rooms( I measured the space and chose an aquarium that would fit, but this is an amazing fit) an external cannister filter, and a kessil 150 LED light which is drilled into the cabinet above the tank.

My hope is that this can not only be a great little getaway for me, but also add some beauty to the house, and act as a teaching tool for the kids.